Countering the NRA

15Jan

In the past year 70 people have been ruthlessly murdered by gunmen using either assault weapons – as in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting – or 9mm pistols with high capacity magazines.

And yet 1.3% of the nation’s total population of 315,167,682 people is keeping us – as Americans – from having the long overdue discussion and accompanying legislation to address this issue. The National Rifle Association has a reported 4,250,000 members, or 1.3% of the total population.

During the 2012 campaign cycle the NRA contributed $1,061,710 to the election process, with $719,596 being “donated” to federal campaigns. Of course the NRA also gave out hefty funds in the form of lobbying in 2012, totaling some $2,205,000. Total political contributions + lobbying = $3,266,710, or roughly $6,000 of peddling per member of the United States Congress. How do the other 99% fight that kind of money and influence?

Well, for starters, there are 169,000,000 registered voters (53.6% of the population) in the United States, including 86,000,000 registered Democrats (27.2% of the total population) and 55,000,000 registered Republicans (17.4% of the total population), with 28,000,000 registered others (8.8% of the total population). If each registered Democrat wrote to every member of the Congress and said they’d give them $5.00 a piece to pass meaningful legislation including a ban on assault weapons and high capacity magazines, that would equal $430,000,000 in influence divided between 535 members of Congress or $803,738 in campaign contributions; a great deal more than any member of Congress has ever received from the NRA.

And, if only half of all registered Democrats were to write to every member of Congress and offer to donate $5.00 a piece, that would equal $215,000,000 in influence, again divided between 535 members of congress equals $401,869 in campaign contributions; once again, a great deal more money than any member of Congress has ever received from the NRA.

A very simple solution to countering the NRA; money talks, and more money talks louder.